Is LaMarcus the odd man out?

[jermaine]

I dont post much anymore, but I've been loving DeRozen at PF... With his game at pf, he seems to be waaaaay more effective that LMA. Is it really time to move on from him an Forbes?? Even if Pop is talking about sitting Mills, he's not being traded, but im sure we could package LMA & Forbes. Mature thoughts please.

[Chinook]

I don't think DeRozan is a long-term PF. I think "ideally", he'd play most at SF and slide to PF against beneficial match-ups. Moreover, I think the Spurs should move on from DeRozan and get a PF that can space the floor and doesn't need the ball in his hands. I'm pretty confident that Murray can't survive with DeRozan on the same team.

[jermaine]

I don't think DeRozan is a long-term PF. I think "ideally", he'd play most at SF and slide to PF against beneficial match-ups. Moreover, I think the Spurs should move on from DeRozan and get a PF that can space the floor and doesn't need the ball in his hands. I'm pretty confident that Murray can't survive with DeRozan on the same team.

Murray's pride cant survive!!! But Idk what PF you speak of that teams are just ready to throw away for Damar. I'd live to see Metu get more burn or get rid of him too.

[Seventyniner]

DeRozan is the odd man out if the Spurs really want the future to be in the hands of some combination of Murray/White/Walker/Johnson. Nearly all the Spurs' youth is on the perimeter.

Aldridge, even at this age, is still way better than Poeltl and provides a lot more spacing.

Strange as it might sound, I could see Keldon filling the rim-roller role on occasion, especially if Aldridge and someone like Lyles are behind the three-point line. Or if the Spurs are playing small with Aldridge as the 5 and Keldon as the 4.

[r0drig0lac]

both, but Demar is not a PF

[EasyMoney]

If aldridge is willing to continue spacing the floor and jacking up 3s, then its demar who is the odd man out.

[tbdog]

Spurs should be running more and lowering LMA minutes to compensate. Allowing Poeltl to be more aggressive and energetic. Problem was Pop played a slower first team and a faster second team, which worked well around 12-17. Gay is an odd man out. He kinda can't run now and is a ball stopper. I like how he can put the ball in the basket but he does slow the game down. He has a place but not really suited for this team now. Getting a full time 4 that will run and shoot, should be Spurs target this offseason. Despite losing Gays intangibles, it would be beneficial for the team.

[Nivek_ogre]

Without Aldridge DeRozan actually looks effective.

[spurspl]

i appreciate the LMAs skills and imo hes still a decent player despite his age but spurs are much more faster and more enjoyable to watch without him. However i cant see ddr as a PF for a longterm. Someone (or both) must go/be traded

[tbdog]

I disagree. This is more of Pop forcing the team to run. LMA can play the fast game too, just not with extended minutes.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Replace Jakob with Aldridge in the line up and the spurs don’t get raped by embid and jokic. Probably undefeated right now with the suns. People forget LA was shooting 3s at like 45% before the stoppage

[gambit1990]

DeRozan is the odd man out if the Spurs really want the future to be in the hands of some combination of Murray/White/Walker/Johnson. Nearly all the Spurs' youth is on the perimeter.

Aldridge, even at this age, is still way better than Poeltl and provides a lot more spacing.

[KobesAchilles]

I think this is more on Forbes, Belli, and Mills than anything else. We don’t have to cover for a midget or slow unathletic person. I also think that Pop underestimated how good our spacing could’ve been had we had White, KJ, Lonnie, DDR, and LMA starting. Everybody here likes to shit on “mah touches” but the man took 9 threes in a game on more than one occasion. He was leading us in 3 point attempts for a while. He clearly wanted to adapt. It just shows how much Pop fucked up the season

[C-Dub]

Spurs can't trade Forbes because he's a free agent after this season. They can either let him walk, match another teams offer to Forbes to keep him or lastly sign him then trade him which is considered a sign and trade.

[gambit1990]

no.

spurs are playing so much more comfortable because there's more talent on the floor / they don't have to worry about covering for forbes and patty.

this team would be playing even better with la. much better scoring prowess than poe + eub combined, obviously.

[exstatic]

I don't think DeRozan is a long-term PF. I think "ideally", he'd play most at SF and slide to PF against beneficial match-ups. Moreover, I think the Spurs should move on from DeRozan and get a PF that can space the floor and doesn't need the ball in his hands. I'm pretty confident that Murray can't survive with DeRozan on the same team.

Trey Lyles says hello. He can also defend and rebound decently.

[baseline bum]

I wouldn't read too much into the records of the Spurs, Suns, and Blazers since the restart. Spurs and Blazers didn't become good teams as soon as they got to Orlando and Phoenix didn't just become elite either. This is a league where seeds 1-7 had already been determined so those teams seem to be treating these 8 games like a preseason. Now if they snuck into the playoffs and gave the Lakers a good fight in the first round that would be a whole different story.

[gambit1990]

sign dwight howard so la doesn't have to worry about being the defensive anchor. let him be comfortable and so he can focus better on scoring.

white / keldon / la / dwight is a solid foundation to add to.

[DAF86]

I would try to shop both, LA and DDR, if something good comes along, then you take it. If not, I'm fine with tolerating them for one more year. DeRozan and LA on reduced roles, accompanied by the likes of White, Keldon, Poeltl, Walker and Murray could be a better team than we had in the last three years.

[Slippy]

Rudy Gay featuring so prominantly on offense at the bubble tells me Lamarcus is in their plans.

[Dejounte]

Let LA be our 2014 Tim Duncan with Keldon winning the Finals MVP next year.

[Slippy]

Even Jacob was at times the focal point against the rockets today from inside.. that is Lamarcus' role.

[John B]

Demar is PF only in small ball, but when it slows down, Aldridge can get us the basket at that PF position. Spurs need Aldridge, but definitely no longer the only option, with White, Keldon stepping up.
But definitely this bubble experience shows that it's way time to go away from the Forbes/Mills/Beli experiment, and back with the athletic defense that this team is VERY capable of.

[ZeusWillJudge]

both, but Demar is not a PF


DDR isn't a PF, Murray isn't a PG, and LMA isn't a C. It's a mystery to me why they didn't contend for a championship this season.

[tbdog]

I would try to shop both, LA and DDR, if something good comes along, then you take it. If not, I'm fine with tolerating them for one more year. DeRozan and LA on reduced roles, accompanied by the likes of White, Keldon, Poeltl, Walker and Murray could be a better team than we had in the last three years.

I'm pretty sure they were on the table at the deadline. I am sure there were some discussions with the Heat but teams were likely far off.

[BackHome]

Yeah I agree on that still shocked why Poop and others think Murray is a PG? - He was given a good shot and it is not even close to being a decent PG no court vision and his handles and decision making is terrible. But I blame Pop they should have brought him along at SG I think he can make the switch if he buys into it and management finally sees the lights.

One good thing from the bubble is that Rudy came to play and I think that will help him and us get a trade after this season. As far as DEROZZ and LMA if you can get what you want and they agree to the trade then you do it.

Player to let go : Mills, Forbes

Question? Poodle if cheap but it not work a sign or trade. Lyles I think has 5 mill next season but is not guaranteed a decent backup but no way a starting type of guy so keep him one more year.

Trade: LMA, DEROZZ, Rudy, Only if you get something decent.

[Kurgan]

Nope. It's probably Derozan that won't be here next year. I don't see the Spurs committing long term to him. LMA still has a year on his contract.

[Arcadian]

If Derozan was out and Aldridge was playing, we'd be asking "Is Derozan the odd man out?" (Indeed, that has already happened before :lol)

[Kurgan]

Yeah I agree on that still shocked why Poop and others think Murray is a PG? - He was given a good shot and it is not even close to being a decent PG no court vision and his handles and decision making is terrible. But I blame Pop they should have brought him along at SG I think he can make the switch if he buys into it and management finally sees the lights.

One good thing from the bubble is that Rudy came to play and I think that will help him and us get a trade after this season. As far as DEROZZ and LMA if you can get what you want and they agree to the trade then you do it.

Player to let go : Mills, Forbes

Question? Poodle if cheap but it not work a sign or trade. Lyles I think has 5 mill next season but is not guaranteed a decent backup but no way a starting type of guy so keep him one more year.

Trade: LMA, DEROZZ, Rudy, Only if you get something decent.

Forbes is the obvious one to let go. He's a stop gap SG like Mason Jr and Neal were. Hopefully they don't resign Mills after next year but the organization seems to love him. I see him talking it up with the assistant coaches quite often.

Rudy probably has the most value to a contending team. I can see a contender being interested in adding him to energize their bench.

[Chomag]

Although Lonnie still has the longest to go at refining his game into a quality NBA player I honestly think White , Keldon and Lonnie are the only players worth keeping going forward.Everyone else is replaceable and expendable.

[ace3g]

Trey Lyles says hello. He can also defend and rebound decently.

Yeah Lyles would have helped us out a lot (especially against 76ers and Denver)- mobile PF. He was playing well before the lockdown and was playing with a starting rotation I hope we never see again.

With Lyles our restart rotation would have been:

Starters: Dejounte, White, DeRozan, Lyles, Poeltl

Bench: Quinn/Beli/Patty, Walker, Keldon, Gay, Eubanks

[offset formation]

He had Chemistry issues with Damian
He had Chemistry issues with Nephew
He has Chemistry issues with DDR(perhaps the whole youth core)

3 strikes


HE IS OUT

Lol. This is BULLSHIT.

The only true part is what he had with Dame. Who btw, he has patched it up with, even before he left not wanting LMA to leave and since hoping he'd return someday.

Everyone had issues with neph, but not exclusively with LMA.

He and DDR have by their own statements meshed just fine despite their midrange games sometimes coming at odds with one another. And LMA accommodated DDR by moving his game to the arc.

You're truly one of the ignorant ones among us.

[Collins21]

Lol. This is BULLSHIT.

The only true part is what he had with Dame. Who btw, he has patched it up with, even before he left not wanting LMA to leave and since hoping he'd return someday.

Everyone had issues with neph, but not exclusively with LMA.

I don't think anybody on the team liked Kawhi that last year he was here.

He and DDR have by their own statements meshed just fine despite their midrange games sometimes coming at odds with one another. And LMA accommodated DDR by moving his game to the arc.

You're truly one of the ignorant ones among us.

[duncan2k5]

LMA was pouting the entire season that Kawhi was the Alpha, then demanded a trade after making the WCF

[fusionjazzman72]

DeRozan is the odd man out if the Spurs really want the future to be in the hands of some combination of Murray/White/Walker/Johnson. Nearly all the Spurs' youth is on the perimeter.

Aldridge, even at this age, is still way better than Poeltl and provides a lot more spacing.

Strange as it might sound, I could see Keldon filling the rim-roller role on occasion, especially if Aldridge and someone like Lyles are behind the three-point line. Or if the Spurs are playing small with Aldridge as the 5 and Keldon as the 4.

But he needs his touches!!:lol

[alpha_HaZE]

Demar is PF only in small ball, but when it slows down, Aldridge can get us the basket at that PF position. Spurs need Aldridge, but definitely no longer the only option, with White, Keldon stepping up.
But definitely this bubble experience shows that it's way time to go away from the Forbes/Mills/Beli experiment, and back with the athletic defense that this team is VERY capable of.

Derrick Whites shoots the three better when LA is not on the floor, Danny Green was worse with him on the floor, he stops the ball, he needs to take his shots to get in a rhythm, as he says, he can't create his own shot or for others as much. He has lost a step and can't guard on the four anymore. Do you want me to go on???

Trading LaMarcus for someone like Lauri Markannen would be awesome!

[phxspurfan]

This new fun and gun offense is definitely a revelation, tbh. I think LMA’s done as a Spur after this contract for sure.

[tbdog]

LMA was pouting the entire season that Kawhi was the Alpha, then demanded a trade after making the WCF

He did not.

[ragas]

LMA:
This team doesn't work with LMA. There's a reason that almost all NBA analysts say the Spurs are fun to watch again. The reasons is that LMA is not in the bubble. He can't play at this pace and would take the ball out of the young Spurs hands. They should trade him to get an asset for him. He's a good player, but doesn't fit in the Spurs system anymore.

Demar:
The Spurs wouldn't have won a single game without him. Other than LMA he is willing to step back to give the young guys a run, but steps up when it's necessary. If he opts in I can see him leading the young spurs and being traded to a contender at the tradeline.

Murray:
1-2 seasons without an injury would be nice for him. For now I'm sceptical that he's the solution at the pg-spot, because he makes so many bad decisions on the court. But with his current contract, keep him & see what he's able to bring on the table in the future.

White:
Extend his contract at the level of Murray's contract.

Mills:
Patty isn't going anywhere. No way. He stays with Spurs. Future assistant coach?

Gay:
Could be traded, but depends on other decisions regarding the frontcourt (LMA, Poeltl). With the way he played in the bubble, the Spurs could get something back for him. I'm not sure if that would be the case in a few months.

Forbes:
I would let him go elsewhere, but I can see them giving him a cheap contract if demar opts out.

Belinelli:
I think he returns to Europe after this season.

Poeltl:
He has shown that he fits in well with the other young Spurs. Is he the Spurs future starting 5, who can play 30+ minutes? Not sure about that. But with his actual skillset for sure he can give them 20-25 good minutes with his defense, screens & passing. If he improves his offensive game (shooting) and bulks up a little bit (not too much!), he could be more for them. I think the Spurs will try to keep him, although I'm not sure how much are they willing to spend. I think that he'll get an offer in the 8-12 mil range.

Eubanks: Should get a contract, 2 years. Don't expect him to have a break out, but he plays with energy and has some offensive tools.

Weatherspoon: Should get a chance. If they want to keep Forbes and demar opts in, it could be difficult for him. I would keep Q over Forbes.

Metu: idk. 2-way at best

[Spursfanfromafar]

I agree with folks who say that Demar has been important in the Spurs success in the Restart. He also had a very efficient season and became more and more comfortable in a spread offense. Dude pouts and complains about refereeing and plays mediocre defense but other than that he has been stellar. I like how LMA expanded his offense by shooting threes but he is 35, slower, not quite good at defending in space and inconsistent as a rim protector now.

If the Spurs can trade LMA for a SF/PF like Aaron Gordon (doubtful after Isaac got injured) or maybe even Gordon Hayward (Celtics need a 4/5) and get someone like Harry Giles to backup Poeltl, they should be a playoff contender next season.

White, Murray, DeRozan, Hayward or Gordon/Lyles, Poeltl
Mills, Walker, Keldon, Gay, Giles/Eubanks
Weatherspoon, Samanic, Draft Pick should be a good team.

[DJR210]

He had Chemistry issues with Damian
He had Chemistry issues with Nephew
He has Chemistry issues with DDR(perhaps the whole youth core)

3 strikes


HE IS OUT

I agree with this.. he has a track record of chemistry concerns


Aldridge, even at this age, is still way better than Poeltl and provides a lot more spacing.

LMA is obviously the more talented overall, but Jakob is a defensive specialist and isn't going to demand touches.. Considering we have so much talent in the back court and now with Keldon's impending rise, I'd prefer to have defensive first center who won't demand any touches. The preferred outcome here would be Jakob adding a 3 pt shot.. Honestly he should be in the gym shooting 2k threes a day during the off-season.


Without Aldridge DeRozan actually looks effective.

Agreed. Addition by subtraction.


Replace Jakob with Aldridge in the line up and the spurs don’t get raped by embid and jokic. Probably undefeated right now with the suns. People forget LA was shooting 3s at like 45% before the stoppage Although I agreed above that LMA's subtraction has led to better results, Aldridge's 3 point shooting and generally hanging out more around the 3 point line before the lockdown can't be overlooked at the same time. It will be interesting to see what the Spurs front office decide to do going forward, but either way I am just glad that Pop has been shown what this team could do by taking the reigns off the young guys

[RC_Drunkford]

No he ain't. Aldridge actually needs to be surrounded by 3-point shooters who can dribble drive their way to the rim, since he's not the best passer. A 4-guard line up like we're playing now should benefit him. Also a lot of yall seem to forget that him and White work really really well together as a Big/PG combo.

[RC_Drunkford]

I agree with folks who say that Demar has been important in the Spurs success in the Restart. He also had a very efficient season and became more and more comfortable in a spread offense. Dude pouts and complains about refereeing and plays mediocre defense but other than that he has been stellar. I like how LMA expanded his offense by shooting threes but he is 35, slower, not quite good at defending in space and inconsistent as a rim protector now.

He played with Bryn Forbes in the line up. Has nothing to do with him being older. Put him out there with Keldon, DJ and White and he won't have any problems. He actually averaged a new career high blocked shots this year

[duncan2k5]

I can't believe we are seriously discussing building around either DDR or LMA... this experiment has failed BIG time! We really wanna build around a 32 year old career choker in DDR?? Trade them BOTH... They can't even bring us to the 8th seed!!! And they're only getting more old and worse

[Chinook]

Trey Lyles says hello. He can also defend and rebound decently.

I don't dislike Lyles. But long-term, they need someone more dynamic than him, preferably someone who can pressure a defense on his own. There's a difference between having a good offensive player who can get his own shot but doesn't NEED to have the ball all the time and a guy like DeMar who totally isn't doing anything if he's not dribbling or already at the rim. Can a White, Walker, Johnson, Lyles, Poeltl unit work? Maybe, but no one in the group is a dominant scorer, and that limits their upside. Maybe Walker can be that, but it hasn't been encouraging. From what I can see all of White, Walker and Johnson should have the ability to get 20-plus on a given night, but no one there is going to warp a defense unless Walker gets an alpha mentality all of the sudden. That leaves two options: replacing Poeltl with a dominant post-player center ala Embiid or replacing Lyles with a dynamic stretch-four/combo-forward ala Zion. I personally think the second option is easier to accomplish and that it's not even clear that the first one can still work in today's NBA. In either event, even though I don't dislike either player, I could see both Poeltl and Lyles on different teams next year.

[poopbox]

Logically he should be because the spurs can't play the way they played in the bubble with LMA on the floor...he is to plodding, doesn't set good screens, only wants to shoot the ball where he wants to shoot it from instead of in the flow of the offense, and pouts if he doesn't get enough touches... one of the reasons the spurs have been successful in the bubble is the fact that they now get this modern open 3's from ball movement that flat out don't exist when LMA plays because he holds the ball forever and is one of the worst passers I have ever seen...

Also if he plays then one of poeltl, white, murray, walker/ keldon goes to the bench, since him playing is going to slide demar back to the 3 and then one of our young perimeter players to the bench...

I would do everything I could to get rid of LMA...you just can't play modern basketball with him on the floor, he is to slow and his basketball IQ is to low...

[ZeusWillJudge]

I don't dislike Lyles. But long-term, they need someone more dynamic than him, preferably someone who can pressure a defense on his own.


They had someone more dynamic. He reneged to go play for the Knicks. Lyles was available. I actually like him more than I expected to. He did all the things people said he wouldn't do. He might have value in a trade. Not excess value, but someone might take him to balance a trade.


The biggest obstacle to the Spurs making a trade is the Spurs making a trade.

[Chinook]

They had someone more dynamic. He reneged to go play for the Knicks. Lyles was available. I actually like him more than I expected to. He did all the things people said he wouldn't do. He might have value in a trade. Not excess value, but someone might take him to balance a trade.


The biggest obstacle to the Spurs making a trade is the Spurs making a trade.

He's slightly more dynamic. I don't think the Spurs miss Morris too much on offense. It's the fact that his defense isn't around that hampers the team's upside. For sure, if the Spurs could draft a guy who could provide Morris-like impact, especially right away, it'd be a win. But without the perimeter guys taking bigger-than-can-be-expect steps, it's not enough to just be a super role-player. At least it's not enough if the Spurs want to get into the top have of the Western bracket any time soon.

[Seventyniner]

Lyles is solid, but only as a rotation player at this point. Unless he improves he will be a below-average starter.

I mean, sure he could do fine in a lineup with Curry/Thompson/Durant, but the Spurs need more from their starting 4 to be more than first-round fodder.

Fortunately he will be only 25 at the start of next season so expecting some improvement isn't unreasonable.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The Spurs would be dumb not to shop one or both of them this off season. We're kind of mired in mediocrity with our current personnel.

[ZeusWillJudge]

He's slightly more dynamic. I don't think the Spurs miss Morris too much on offense. It's the fact that his defense isn't around that hampers the team's upside. For sure, if the Spurs could draft a guy who could provide Morris-like impact, especially right away, it'd be a win. But without the perimeter guys taking bigger-than-can-be-expect steps, it's not enough to just be a super role-player. At least it's not enough if the Spurs want to get into the top have of the Western bracket any time soon.


I think that's pretty much dead on. Offensively, Morris shot something like 42% from 2P, but still put up around 20 ppg (with the Knicks). A low-percentage, high volume shooter is sort of a mixed blessing. But he did shoot over 40% from 3P. And he got to the line a LOT more than Lyles ever has. That's a guy who's forcing the action and bending the defense at least a bit. If the Spurs had him instead of Lyles, they make the playoffs but not much more.


Lyles and his contract are one of the least of the problems on this roster. If they had the other pieces, I'd be content to have him here as-is. I still think he has upside offensively on this team. He showed that he could play within a system and not be selfish. A few more minutes and a little more aggressiveness and he's right there with Morris, IMO.

[Dingle Barry]

LMA absolutely needs to go.

[lefty]

If Derozan was out and Aldridge was playing, we'd be asking "Is Derozan the odd man out?" (Indeed, that has already happened before :lol)
Having either one of them is fine

But having them together in today's NBA is not ideal, not enough spacing, although LMA allows for more spacing than Jakob

[Ocotillo]

Chopper is right, you shop Derozan or LaMarcus to see what they can get in return. They seem to play better without each other on the floor. I have been impressed with bubble Derozan. If that is what we would always have going forward with him on the team he would be a valuable asset. I like the idea of a strong vet to be with these young guys who knows when he is needed to take over and when to let the horses run.

On the other hand the bubble Spurs have been extremely thin at the 4 and 5 with Aldridge and Lyles out so if Aldridge is shipped out, Jakob and Eubanks are not enough alone.

The improvement or at least the improved excitement in watching the team now is the result of the young guys playing and only a bit of Mills and Marco and no Forbes. Mills is a chemistry guy I don't see going anywhere and will be helpful during the season with a better cast around him. Marco and Forbes need to move on to their next chapter.

So I see one of either DeMar or LaMarcus having to go and fetching some asset in the best interest of the team.

[Rummpd]

Trade LA for a decent big and Spurs in 21 in playoffs - albeit if their HOF but seemingly over the hill coach does not mess it up

[Ocotillo]

One other thing I neglected to mention; while the bubble has been a joy to watch, we have been going up against depleted teams and some load management so we can't get too carried away with how much improved the team is. On the other hand, the playing time is good for the young guys.

[Arcadian]

Having either one of them is fine

But having them together in today's NBA is not ideal, not enough spacing, although LMA allows for more spacing than Jakob
Yeah I agree. It's just funny how when one of them is injured, everyone turns on them and thinks "He's the problem all along!" :lol When really neither one is the problem alone, but rather the synergy between them.

[jermaine]

Yeah I agree. It's just funny how when one of them is injured, everyone turns on them and thinks "He's the problem all along!" :lol When really neither one is the problem alone, but rather the synergy between them.

I haven't turnt on LMA.. Its just its Always seemed he's not a Spur. I think with the league tryna get faster pace, DDR at the 4 looks better than LMAXat the 4. An we all know, 1 has to go. DDR can mentor the young guards we have, so i thought we should keep him.

[TD 21]

I haven't turnt on LMA.. Its just its Always seemed he's not a Spur. I think with the league tryna get faster pace, DDR at the 4 looks better than LMAXat the 4. An we all know, 1 has to go. DDR can mentor the young guards we have, so i thought we should keep him.

DeRozan can't play the 4 full time and the only time Aldridge has in the past 3 years was for the first 6 minutes of each half post All-Star break last season in a futile effort to stabilize the porous defense. He's a clear 5 in today's game.

He's also a better theoretical fit with the young guards and since he'd be in a contract season, he'd likely be motivated. He could vacillate between floor spacer and go-to scorer. Only problem is, they'd lose him for nothing after that.

[Chinook]

I actually think Aldridge would agree to another extension and finish his career in SA if the two sides could figure out the money. While I think LMA has some dream of going back to Portland and finishing out his career, I think he's also settled into SA and to the elder-statesman role the team allows. At his age and with the Lillard stuff to look back on, I think LMA's at a point where he'd embrace the guards' progress in a way he wasn't ready to a half-decade ago. If LMA plays another three years at a high level, he's probably going to be sixth or seventh all time in the team's history, will get his jersey retired and probably make the Hall of Fame. That's better than going to Portland, having to win fan support again, backing up Nurkic and fading into obscurity on a team that isn't going to win a title no matter how much he sacrifices.

The question in my mind is if the Spurs should want to keep LMA for that long. To me, he's way better than Poeltl at most things and is better than anyone the team is likely going to get in the next few seasons. But if they draft a guy like Wiseman or somehow luck into a real impact center, it wouldn't make sense for LMA to still start. Would he be tradeable? Maybe if the contract is team-friendly enough.

I think the Spurs should be looking for a center of the future and that that center is probably not Poeltl. But unless someone is willing to offer something good for LMA, I'm at least talking to him about an extension. That's not really the case with DeRozan where the team should move on both for theirs and DeRozan's sakes.